NICTA (National ICT Australia) is Australia’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Research Centre of Excellence. It is an independent company in the business of research, commercialisation and research training. With over 700 people, NICTA is the largest organisation in Australia dedicated to ICT research.

NICTA is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and the Australian Research Council through the ICT Centre of Excellence program. NICTA also is funded and supported by the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland and Victorian Governments, ANU, Griffith University, University of Melbourne, UNSW, UQ, QUT and University of Sydney.

You may think your social media friends are only good for keeping you up with all the latest gossip and trends but research published today has found they can also help save you in the event of any natural…

Some of the biggest players in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have joined together calling for any research to focus on the benefits we can reap from AI “while avoiding potential pitfalls”. Research into…

Last week, Elon Musk warned an audience at MIT that: we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I had to guess at what our biggest existential threat is, it’s probably that. Musk is the…

As an enabling technology, ICT reaches into many fields including health, cybersecurity and engineering (shown here).
Kevin Tong/FlickrJune 17, 2014

AUSTRALIA 2025: How will science address the challenges of the future? In collaboration with Australia’s chief scientist Ian Chubb, we’re asking how each science discipline will contribute to Australia…

Internet-based businesses have been quick to understand the science behind big data, and are using it to increase profitability.
Flickr/Rick ChungMarch 26, 2014

Much of big data comes from people. Web logs, mobile phone usage, financial transactions, insurance claims, you name it: it’s being recorded for potential further analysis to generate business value and…

Once you get a taste, it’s hard to stop playing Candy Crush … but why?
emi iemei/FlickrMarch 12, 2014

Christmas is fast approaching, and this year is set to be the biggest ever for online shopping. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent by Australians alone. And every year, the flurry of online…

A home-made hexapod robot on display at a Mini Maker Faire at Somerville in the US.
Chris DeversNovember 21, 2013

The crucial thing about “big data” is the data. “Big” is relative, and while size often matters, real disruption can come from data of any size. This is not a new idea, being several hundred years old…

Reports from the Philippines reveal a lack of typhoon preparation and evacuation efforts. When to evacuate – and how – spells the difference between life and death. As we know, typhoons can cause widespread…

In the event of a crisis, turning to social media could mean the difference between life and death.
Dustin DiazOctober 24, 2013

These days, social media and online apps have become a major source of disaster information and warnings. But how much can we trust them? Today, more than 82% of Australians use the internet and 76% can…

Anything could happen if we don’t teach machines to be “good”.
KennethMoyleMarch 14, 2012

Predicting the future is a risky business. If it wasn’t, we’d all be very wealthy by now. The Danish physicist Neils Bohr famously opined: “Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future”. Despite…

The cut-and-choose technique has been preventing tantrums since antiquity.
free form by prudenceAugust 28, 2011

I work on the mathematics of sharing resources, which has led me to consider emotions such as envy, behaviour such as risk-taking and the best way to cut a cake. Like, I suspect, many women, my wife enjoys…

With new technology comes new ways of communicating with one another in times of crisis. Platforms such as Twitter and Facebook allow important information to be shared widely and instantaneously. But…